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Daily News - 19 January 2001
President Mejia travels to Jamaica for Caricom-Canada summit
President Hipolito Mejia traveled today, 19 January to Jamaica to be present at the meeting of Caribbean heads of state and the Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chretien.
President Mejia travels with empty hands, though, not having been able to come through with his promise to Caribbean heads of state of the congressional approval of the Caribbean and Central American free trade agreements.
The 6th Caricom-Canada Summit was to be held in September 2000, but it was rescheduled when Prime Minister of Canada cancelled his participation after the death of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. PM Jean Chretien was advised of the death on his flight to Jamaica. At the time he was traveling with Dominican President Hipólito Mejía. He left shortly for Canada, after suspending the talks.
The Plenary Agenda includes the Summit of the Americas and FTAA, multilateral initiatives on offshore financial centers, Canada-CARICOM trade issues, small state issues and transnational issues (crime/drugs/small arms/HIV Aids). RNM representation will be led by Chief Negotiator Sir Shridath Ramphal and Chief Technical Advisor Sir Alister McIntyre.
New meters for water consumption
AAA Dominicana won the contract to install 35,000 water meters in Santo Domingo. With the granting of the contract, the Santo Domingo water corporation (CAASD) seeks to improve the management of its resources and reduce losses due to leakages and waste. At present, consumers are billed fixed sums, despite the amount of water consumed. CAASD director general Julio Suero Marranzini said that the agreement was signed for a four-year duration, and that there has been no privatization or capitalization process. The new company will be responsible for billing and collecting for the service.
Sexual abuse of minors again in the limelight
The District Attorney announced the persecution of owners of three entertainment centers in Andres, Boca Chica, the town adjacent to the tourist resort area of Boca Chica. The owners of the pension Los Coquitos, the bar Lindo Amanecer and the Café Nuevo Milenio are accused of hiring minors. It is illegal to allow minors into bars and discotheques in the DR, and much less to employ these.
According to an El Siglo newspaper report, meanwhile, the administrators of Lindo Amanecer and Milenio will be tried for violation of the law that protects minors.
Senator for Santo Domingo Jose Antonio Najri told the Listin Diario newspaper that more late night and early morning raids are necessary to detect the businesses that allow minors to frequent or employ these. In his opinion, businesses where minors are found should be permanently shut down.
Rear Admiral Hector Antonio Lizardo Jorge of the Tourism Police said that in the past four months, his department has dismantled four rings of foreigners that promoted the activity. He said that every day they arrest about 10 minors, but these cannot be retained because the law only allows the arrest of a minor for one hour.
Minister of Education, Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch said that the prostitution of minors is a social problem caused by the poverty of the residents that live in areas adjacent to tourism destinations, that make them easy prey to attractive cash offers by sex vendors. Social workers seek to find the children alternatives to motivate them to stay in school and away from prostituting themselves.
The judicial and police actions were taken after Hoy newspaper denounced cases of minors seen at bars in the Boca Chica area.
Corpse of murdered 72 year old Santiago lady found in her yard
Police investigators uncovered yesterday the corpse of 72 year Isabel Martinez de Zouain, from the city of Santiago. She was the wife of musician and businessman Moises Zouian. Her cadaver was found when Police investigators noticed the shuffling of an area in the patio of the lady's house in the Del Este neighborhood in Santiago. The police suspect the involvement of the cook and/or gardener of the house. The whereabouts of the two are unknown. It is believed that the motive was robbery. On the Tuesday afternoon the victim was reported missing, she had announced plans to go to the bank to change a check for RD$10,000.
Codetel delivers first virtual classrooms
Codetel, the leading telecommunication company in the DR, delivered to the Ministry of Education the first three modular mobile units for the start of the Virtual Classrooms project. The classrooms will be used for public school student computer classes. The project calls for an overall RD$85 million investment in the installation of 90 such classrooms. Each is equipped with 10 computers with Internet access, printer, air-conditioner, and other special furnishings. Codetel has appointed facilitators to help the students.
Hotel occupancy up, income down
Arturo Villanueva, executive vice president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association said that while hotel occupancy was up 3 points to 70% in 2000, revenues were down US$100 million. He said this clearly proves that hoteliers are selling their packages for less this year.
Villanueva says that revenue-wise 2001 will be a worse year for the industry. He explained that hoteliers pre-sold their packages nine months ago, prior to the new tax changes that increase operational costs for these. He said hotels will have to absorb the new costs. Asonahores executive vice president says that official statistics show that the sector produced US$2,480 million in 2000. An additional 5,000 rooms entered the market last year, for 52,000 total. The Dominican Republic has the most hotel rooms in the Caribbean.
Ministry of Agriculture announces ban of European meat imports
The Ministry of Agriculture's Cattleranching Department says that all meat product imports from Europe are banned. The ban is on to protect the country from the entry of the mad cow illness.
78 earthquakes in DR in 2000
El Caribe newspaper reports that in 2000 the Instituto Seismological Institute at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, the state university, registered 78 earthquakes, between 2 and 4.5 on the Ritcher scale. University equipment registered eight hurricanes of more than 4 on the Ritcher Scale. Thirty-four registered 3-3.5 on the scale. Most of these earthquakes have not been felt by the population.
Juan Payero, head of the department, said that there is the possibility that a Ritcher Scale 6 earthquake will affect the DR any day now.
Santiago is the largest city at most risk of earthquakes. A major regional fault runs diagonally from Samaná through Monte Cristi, on the northwestern coast. Another fault runs along the central valley of La Vega, Bonao included. Another runs through the southwest, crossing through Bahoruco province. A fourth runs several hundred miles below the southeastern coast of the DR. Payero confirmed the belief that every 50 years a major earthquake (of more than 6 on the Ritcher Scale) could affect the DR. The last major earthquake to shake the country occurred in 1946. Payero said that at the end of October several earthquakes of 6 intensity have shaken the area of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. He said that adding to this the effect of the El Salvador quake, one would think that a Ritcher 6 earthquake is imminent. "It is not a matter of alarming the people, rather that prevention measures be taken, starting by builders respecting the seismic codes," he said. He said that one thing is what the plans indicate, and another is what the builders actually construct.
The newspaper says that preventive measures include:
Reinforcing weak areas of the dwelling.
Relocating heavy objects taking in consideration they could fall. Having available fire extinguishers and first aid kits.
Avoiding the use of glass-containing furniture.
Having a whistle on hand to aid in locating victims.
During an earthquake it is most important to stay calm. Normally, it is better to stay inside a building, than to run outside. Recommendations for when an earthquake occurs are:
Do not stand on balconies.
Do not use elevators.
Stay away from electric cables.
Recommendations for after an earthquake:
Turn off electricity circuits, water and gas.
If you are trapped, use sound or visual signals so that your presence is known.
Residents are advised to revise the structure of the building to ensure that permanence in the dwelling does not offer any danger.
Focus on the misery of sugar cane cutter communities
The bateyes, or sugar cane cutter communities located adjacent to sugar mills, have traditionally been the poorest in the DR. After privatization, things have only gotten worse. Many sugar mills have been abandoned by foreign investors and the already depressed communities, made up in large part by immigrant Haitian families, have been left to become what the newspaper describes as places where people are buried alive.
El Caribe newspaper reports that several groups that work in the sugar mills met with the State Sugar Council to study alternatives to start to improve conditions. The Comisión de Apoyo al Desarrollo Barrial and the Plan Presidencial de Lucha contra la Pobreza have been involved. Talks focused on the possibility of planting short cycle crops, granting of land to farmers and the judicial status of the workers.
The newspaper reports that President Mejia has plans to visit a sampling of these communities to ascertain for himself the condition of the residents and enact programs to improve their livelihood.
Amhsa Marina takes over two hotels in Cabarete
Amhsa Marina Hotels & Resorts announced two more hotels are under its management. These are the Paraiso del Sol and the Camino del Sol hotels located in Cabarete, Puerto Plata. With these two hotels, Amhsa Marina has 2,076 rooms in 10 hotels. The Hotel Paraiso del Sol opened in January 2000 with 300 rooms.
Leadership prize to be awarded by US Peace Corps group
The Peace Corps in the DR will honor Ramon Guerrero of Peravia province in the DR for his leadership. Guerrero is the winner of the US$2,000 annual Leadership Prize granted by the Andres S. Hernandez Foundation. The Leadership Prize will be awarded at a reception to be held at the U.S. Peace Corps Offices in Santo Domingo on February 3, 2001.
Guerrero has been instrumental in organizing 5-D Clubs (the Dominican equivalent of 4-H clubs in the US) for over 40 years. He sees these clubs as a practical way of disseminating modern agricultural methods as well as a community-based instrument for community development.
Guerrero led the first Rural School Construction project using adobe as the chief building material. Over the years he has championed this material and taught its use as a practical material for low cost constructions in a tropical locale.
Currently, Guerrero is studying and practicing organic farming. He seeks to maximize quality of foods so produced while seeking to minimize production costs.
The Andres S. Hernandez Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation which uses tax-deductible contributions to fund the annual Leadership Prize. The prize seeks to reinforce the importance of local, grassroots leadership for improving local conditions and for promoting democratic, community development guided by local concerns and needs. Former Peace Corps Volunteers who served under Andres Hernandez established the Foundation. Hernandez, the original Peace Corps Director in the Dominican Republic established the first successful Peace Corps Mission in Latin America.
For his work in promoting individual initiative and socially positive
leadership in helping people help themselves, President Hipolito Mejia, has awarded Andres S. Hernandez the Duarte-Sanchez-Mella Medal, the highest honor that the Dominican Government can bestow. By recognizing Hernandez and his successful establishment of the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic, President Mejia celebrates the 40 years of successful Peace Corps service and collaboration with the Dominican people.
Escogido vs. Aguilas
All appears it will be the Escogido vs. the Aguilas for the Winter Baseball Championship. For the game schedules, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/calendar.shtml
 TEAM  WON  LOST  PCT.  DIF.
 Escogido  11  3  .786  
 Aguilas  8  6  .571 3
 Azucareros  5  9  .357  6
 Estrellas  4  10  .286  7
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